WITHAM MP Priti Patel has backed road safety efforts in a bid to tackle dangerous driving in rural communities.
Ms Patel visited Wickham Bishops Parish Council to discuss concerns about speeding and to show support for the Community Speedwatch scheme, which helps monitor and reduce speeding through volunteer action.
She said: "I pay tribute to the hardworking Community Speedwatch volunteers who give up their time to support efforts to reduce speeding and keep our roads safe.
"Speeding is dangerous and I will be engaging further with Essex Police and Essex County Council to see what steps can be taken to work with the parish council to address this issue, prevent speeding and make our local roads safer."
During the meeting at Wickham Bishops Village Hall, Ms Patel heard from parish council chairman Ian Wardrop and other representatives about ongoing issues with speeding and the challenges faced by Community Speedwatch volunteers.
Mr Wardrop raised frustrations over a policy that prevents warning letters being sent to drivers recorded speeding in the village if their vehicles are registered outside the county.
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He said: "Apart from the waste of the volunteers' time, ignoring all these speeding motorists does not sit well with Essex Police's regular statements that excess speed is a major contributory cause of fatalities arising from road collisions.
"The parish council was very pleased to have Dame Priti's support in raising our concerns about the Community Speedwatch scheme."
He also welcomed her support in opposing a major housing development approved under revised planning policies.
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